HUMAN trafficking is committed by anyone who “recruits, transports, transfers, harbors, provides or receives a person, with or without the victim’s consent or knowledge, by any means, including those done under the pretext of domestic or overseas employment or training or apprenticeship, for the purpose of prostitution, pornography, sexual exploitation, forced labor, slavery, involuntary servitude or debt bondage.” (Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003)
An offense is considered “qualified trafficking” if the victim is a child or in other situations involving family relations or a relationship of authority.
Under the law, this is committed when the offender is a parent, “ascendant,” sibling, guardian, a public officer or employee or a person who exercises authority over the victim.
No bail is granted to a person charged with qualified trafficking.
The penalty upon conviction is life imprisonment and a fine of P2 million to P5 million.
Based on data of the International Justice Mission (IJM), a total of 530 victims of sex trafficking were rescued by law enforcers in Metro Cebu from 2004 to 2013.
IJM recorded at least six convictions of human trafficking cases for this year alone.
“We have a strong law against human trafficking in the Philippines. It should be enforced. Human trafficking is a violent crime. It is manifested in many ways. People are willing to profit from other people’s horrible experiences,” said Andrey Sawchenko, national director of IJM Philippines, a nongovernmental organization whose advocacy is to stamp out human trafficking.
Regional State Prosecutor Fernando Gubalane is hoping prosecutors will do more in prosecuting human traffickers.
“Basically, our aim here is to give justice to victims of human trafficking. I’m happy that public awareness with regard to human trafficking has increased,” said Gubalane who is also the over-all head of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) in Central Visayas. /Reporter Ador Vincente Mayol